The bassless Anglo-French quartet Barbacana made strong impressions right from the start: James Allsop’s supple tenor sax led the way, as the others gradually joined in to create a compelling collective improvisation with tight melodic interludes. This was the story of their set. A constantly shifting dynamic spectrum, ranging from full-volume, rowdy sax blasts and...

George Garanian, 1934-2010 On January 11, Russian jazz icon George Garanian – a musician who nourished jazz as part of Soviet culture – suffered a fatal heart attack while on tour with his popular big band. He was 75. A productive career spanning more than half a century has ensured that Garanian, a highly renowned...

If you would like to support the OPORA cause, please contact Dr Gezahgn Wordofa on opora2003[at]yahoo.com. Any donations of clothes, food or time are always highly appreciated. Broadcast on Prime Time Russia (RT), 24/12/09 – click here for archive.

Hitching rides became a way of life for Jack Kerouac’s Beat Generation. Decades later, Anton Krotov is leading a movement of Russia’s globetrotting “free travelers.” With over 30 years of travel experience and 17 books under his belt, Anton Krotov doesn’t lack in tales from the road. “One of my favorite stories comes from a...

Officially the Winter Olympics are non-politicised – but the reality is that wherever Russia goes, politics will follow. Russia will be holding a national referendum to select its mascot for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. Contenders include a dolphin on skis, a potential revival of the 1980 games’ popular beaming bear, and a giant-eared...

On any Premiership match day in pubs and homes around the UK, football fans of all creeds gather to drink, socialise and cheer on their favoured club. The majority of teams have a strictly local following, while others – generally the most successful sides like Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea – possess a nationwide...

Russia’s Young Are Too Focused on Attaining Material Well-Being to Partake in Human Rights Activism On a grey, dreary Monday evening in Moscow, pre-autumnal rain dully patters down as a group of human rights supporters convene to solemnly remember a champion of their cause. Activist and lawyer Natalia Estemirova’s body was found in the Republic...